Device for interior flushing of tanks or containers

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a device for interior flushing of spaces in tanks or containers. At least one rotatable part ( 8 ) of a pipe ( 6, 8, 11 ) for the supply of flushing liquid ( 7 ) is provided in the space ( 2 ) and said rotatable part ( 8 ) has at least one flushing nozzle ( 9 ) for discharging jets ( 10 ) of flushing liquid. A driving or operating device ( 22 ) is provided to rotate said rotatable part ( 8 ) about a geometric rotation axis (R 1 A) and the flushing nozzle ( 9 ) about another geometric rotation axis (R 2 A). The driving device ( 22 ) is provided to be brought to rotate in opposite rotary directions (R 1 , R 2 ) by reversing its rotary direction. A switch device ( 23 ) is provided to bring either said rotatable part ( 8 ) or the flushing nozzle ( 9 ) to rotate in dependence of the rotary direction (R 1  or R 2 ) of the driving device ( 22 ). A control device ( 48 ) is provided to control the driving device ( 22 ) to rotate in one or the opposite rotary direction (R 1  or R 2 ).

The present invention relates to a device for interior flushing ofspaces in containers, e.g. ship's tanks, wherein at least oneflushing-liquid pipe for the supply of flushing liquid is provided inthe space, wherein the flushing-liquid pipe has at least one flushingnozzle for discharging jets of flushing liquid and wherein a driving oroperating device is provided to rotate the flushing-liquid pipe about ageometric rotation axis and the flushing nozzle about another geometricrotation axis.

Devices for interior flushing of ship's tanks or similar are previouslyknown from the publication EP 0 892 685. At the device according to thispublication, one motor is used to rotate the flushing-liquid pipe andanother motor for rotating the flushing nozzle. Using two motorshowever, for rotating the flushing-liquid pipe and the flushing nozzle,is an expensive and energy consuming solution which is sensitive toshutdowns.

The object of the present invention has therefore been to provide asubstantial simplification and improvement of prior art. This is arrivedat by providing the device defined above with the characterizingfeatures of subsequent claim 1.

By providing a reversible driving device through a double switch deviceoperating either the flushing-liquid pipe or the flushing nozzle, acheap, energy saving and reliable arrangement is obtained for operatingthe flushing device.

The invention will be further described below with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a side view of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a part of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section through a part of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates a first alternative embodiment of a part of thedevice of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a second alternative embodiment of a part of thedevice of FIG. 1.

The device 1 illustrated in the drawings is adapted for flushing spaces2 in containers 3, the upper side 4 of which has an opening 5. Thecontainer 3 may be a ship's tank, whereby the upper side 4 may be thedeck of the ship, but the container 3 can also be of another type and itcan be transportable or stationary.

The flushing device 1 comprises at the embodiment according to thefigures a supply conduit 6 for feeding flushing liquid 7 to aflushing-liquid pipe 8 and at least one flushing nozzle 9 mountedthereon and provided to discharge jets 10 of flushing liquid forinterior flushing of the space 2.

The supply conduit 6 has a vertically directed member 11 and ahorizontally directed member 12 connected thereto. The flushing liquid 7is brought to flow through the horizontally directed member 12 by meansof a pump device (not shown) or similar to the vertically directedmember 11 and through that member into the flushing-liquid pipe 8. Thehorizontal member 12 may include a control valve 13 for regulating theinflow of flushing liquid 7 to the flushing-liquid pipe 8. Lower partsof the vertically directed member 11 of the supply conduit 6 has aflange 14 which is attached to a larger flange 15 by means of bolts 16.The larger flange 15 is in turn attached to said upper side 4 by meansof bolts 17.

At the top, the flushing-liquid pipe 8 is rotatably mounted in thevertically directed member 11 of the supply conduit 6 and extendsthrough the opening 5 down into the space 2. The flange 15 may have adownwardly directed bearing cage 18 with a bearing 19 which is locatedin the space 2 and in which the flushing-liquid pipe 8 is rotatablymounted.

On an upper part of the vertically directed member 11 of the supplyconduit 6 there is provided a housing 21 for a driving or operatingdevice 22 and a switch device 23. The driving device 22 is provided torotate, through the switch device 23, the flushing-liquid pipe 8 about ageometric rotation axis R1A which in the present embodiment isvertically or substantially vertically directed, and to impart to theflushing nozzle 9 a movement about another geometric rotation axis R2Awhich in the present embodiment is horizontal or substantiallyhorizontal.

The driving device 22 is provided to rotate in opposite rotarydirections R1 or R2 by switching the rotary direction thereof. Theswitch device 23 is provided to transmit, when the driving device 22 isdriven or operated to rotate in the rotary direction R1 (e.g.clockwise), the rotary movement of the driving device 22 to theflushing-liquid pipe 8 for rotation thereof, but not to the flushingnozzle 9. The switch device 23 is further provided to transmit, when therotary movement of the driving device 22 is reversed such that it isdriven in the opposite rotary direction R2 (e.g. counter clockwise),said opposite rotary movement of the driving device 22 to the flushingnozzle 9 for rotation thereof, but not to the flushing-liquid pipe 8.

The driving device 22 is operated preferably not by the flow of flushingliquid in the supply conduit 6 but by other energy. Thus, the drivingdevice 22 may be an electrically, pneumatically or hydraulically drivenor operated motor, whereby an electrically operated motor is the mostsuitable. The driving device 22 may be a servo-motor and it may operatewith a rotation speed of 500-1000 rpm and bring the flushing-liquid pipe8 to rotate, through the switch device 23, with 0,5-1 rpm.

The switch device 23 has, in the embodiment shown, two driving gears 24,25 and each gear includes a pair of transmission elements 26, 27. Amovement transfer means 28 is provided to transmit the rotary movementsof the driving device 22 to the transmission element pairs 26, 27 of thetwo driving gears 24, 25 through two movement transfer and clearancedevices 29, 30. A transmission element pair 26, 27 in each driving gear24, 25 is associated with each movement transfer and clearance device29, 30 and one of said devices 29 is provided to transmit the movementof the movement transfer means 28 to the transmission element pair 26 ofone of the driving gears 24, while the other movement transfer andclearance device 30 is provided to simultaneously permit clearance suchthat the movement of the movement transfer means 28 is not at the sametime transmitted to the transmission element pair 27 of the otherdriving gear 25. The other movement transfer and clearance device 30 isprovided to transmit the movement of the movement transfer means 28 tothe transmission element pair 27 of said other driving gear 25, whilesaid one or first movement transfer and clearance device 29 is providedto simultaneously permit clearance such that the movement of themovement transfer means 28 is not at the same time transmitted to thetransmission element pair 26 of said one driving gear 24.

Each driving gear 24 and 25 respectively, is preferably a worm gearhaving a transmission element preferably in the form of a worm 31 and 32respectively, which both are driven by the driving device 22 through themovement transfer means 28, and a transmission element, preferably inthe form of a gear wheel 33 and 34 respectively, cooperating with eachworm 31 and 32 respectively. Each worm 31 and 32 respectively, isnon-rotatably mounted on a drive shaft 35 and 36 respectively, whicheach includes a movement transfer and clearance device 29 and 30respectively, such that the movement transfer means 28 cooperates witheach worm gear through a movement transfer and clearance device 29 and30 respectively. The gear wheel 33 of the driving gear 24, i.e. of thepair of transmission elements 26, brings the flushing-liquid pipe 8 torotate by being connected thereto through a connecting member 37,preferably in the form of a pipe, which extends through the verticallydirected member 11 of the supply conduit 6 and which down below isattached to upper parts of the flushing-liquid pipe 8 for rotation ofsaid pipe 8 about a geometric centre line CL relative to which the gearwheel 33, the connecting member 37 and the flushing-liquid pipe 8preferably are centered.

The driving gears 24, 25 in the form of worm gears may be of anirreversible type, meaning that they can rotate in one direction only.

The gear wheel 34 of the driving gear 25, i.e. of the transmissionelement pair 27, cooperates with a device 38 for transferring the rotarymovements of the gear wheel 34 into reciprocating motions. This device38 drives or operates in turn an elongated member 39, preferably in theform of a rod, which is brought to move with reciprocating motions andwhich through a turning device (not shown) imparts oscillating movementsto the flushing nozzle 9.

The device 38 for transferring the rotary movements of the gear wheel 34into reciprocating motions, may be constructed in different ways. At theembodiment of FIG. 1, this device 38 includes a carrier 40 which iscentered with the centre line CL and which is driven by the gear wheel34 to rotate about said centre line and about a threaded rod 41 orsimilar. Said rod 41 is also centered with the centre line CL and it isjournalled to move in reciprocating motions relative to said centre lineCL but not to rotate thereabout. The rod 41 has two threads 42, 43 withdifferent thread directions and these threads 42, 43 transform into eachother at thread transitions at the end portions of the threads 42, 43and transform into each other such that the carrier 40 during continuousrotation in one direction can engage or mesh with one of the threads 42and 43 and through said thread transitions pass over into engagementwith the other thread 43 or 42 for imparting reciprocating motionscontinuously to the threaded rod 41 and thereby, movements to theflushing nozzle 9.

The threaded rod 41 may cooperate with the flushing nozzle 9 through acoupling rod 44 or similar which extends in a direction downwardsthrough the tubular connecting member 37 and the flushing nozzle 8 andwhich preferably is centered with the centre line CL.

The movement transfer means 28 can be an endless means, e.g. an endlessbelt or chain. This endless means runs over a rotating disk 45 on anoutput shaft of the driving device 22 and over two disks 46, 47 whichthrough the movement transfer and clearance devices 29, 30 are locatedon the driving shafts 35, 36 of the worms 31, 32. A gear wheel is analternative to an endless means.

A control device 48 cooperates with the driving device 22 through a line49 and is adapted to control the driving device 22 to rotate in eitherof the rotary directions, i.e. in one or the opposite rotary directionR1 or R2. This means that the control device 48 controls the drivingdevice 22 to rotate either the flushing-liquid pipe 8 or the flushingnozzle 9. The control device 48 can be brought to control the drivingdevice 22 in accordance with certain control programs which are chosenin view of the look of the space 2. Such a control program can e.g.control the driving device 22 to rotate the flushing-liquid pipe 8 inone or several revolutions with the flushing nozzle 9 set for flushing acertain level of the space 2. When this flushing is finished, thecontrol program can control the driving device 22 to instead rotate theflushing-liquid pipe 8 to set it for flushing an adjacent level of thespace 2, and then, the control program controls the driving device 22 toonce again rotate the flushing-liquid pipe 8 for flushing said latterlevel and so on.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a first alternative to the devicedescribed above for transferring a rotary movement into a reciprocatingmotion. At this first alternative, a pulley 51 (here replacing the gearwheel 34), a belt 52 and a connecting rod 53 is used. The belt 52 isprovided to transmit the rotary movement of the worm 32 to the pulley 51such that said pulley rotates in the rotary direction R3. The connectingrod 53 cooperates, with an upper end, with the pulley 51 and, with alower end, with the coupling rod 44, such that when the pulley 51rotates in the rotary direction R3, up- and downward motions areimparted to the connecting rod 53, which are transmitted to the couplingrod 44. Thus, a rotary movement is here transferred into a reciprocatingmotion R4 through a connecting rod movement.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a second alternative to the devicedescribed above for transferring a rotary movement into a reciprocatingmotion. At this second alternative, a cam disk 54, an arm 55 and aroller 56 which is rotatably mounted on said arm, is used. The cam disk54 is brought to rotate along with the tubular connecting member 37. Thecam of the cam disk 54 is inclined relative to the longitudinaldirection of the coupling rod 44, one end of the arm 55 cooperates withthe machine and its other end with the coupling rod 44. Since the roller56 runs on the inclined cam of the cam disk 54, it will impart to thearm 55, and thereby to the coupling rod 44, up- and downwardlyreciprocating motions R5. Thus, a rotary movement is here through a cammovement transferred into a reciprocating motion R5.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above andillustrated in the drawings, but may with regard to its construction andfunction vary within the scope of the subsequent claims. Thus, thedriving or operating device 22, the switch device 23 and the transferdevice 38 may e.g. be constructed otherwise than described. The controlvalve 13 may cooperate with a control device 50 which preferably isremote-controlled and which can control the control valve 13 to let passlarger or smaller amounts or volumes of flushing liquid per time unit.The control device 50 may e.g. temporarily interrupt the flow offlushing liquid through the supply conduit 6 if e.g. the flushing nozzle9 has flushed a part of the space 2 and one wishes to redirect thenozzle towards another part of the space 2 without flushing during thisredirection.

1. Device for interior flushing of spaces in tanks or containers,wherein: at least one pipe (6, 8, 11) is provided for the supply offlushing liquid (7) to the space (2), a rotatable part (8) of said pipe(6, 8, 11) has at least one flushing nozzle (9) for discharging jets(10) of flushing liquid, and a driving or operating device (22) isprovided to rotate said rotatable part (8) about a geometric rotationaxis (R1A) and the flushing nozzle (9) about another geometric rotationaxis (R2A), the driving device (22) is provided to be brought to rotatein opposite rotary directions (R1, R2) by reversing its rotarydirection, a switch device (23) is provided to bring either saidrotatable part (8) or the flushing nozzle (9) to rotate in dependence ofthe rotary direction (R1 or R2) of the driving device (22), and acontrol device (48) is provided to control the driving device (22) torotate in one or the opposite rotary direction (R1 or R2).
 2. Deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein: the switch device (23) comprises twodriving gears (24, 25) which each includes a transmission element pair(26, 27), and the movement transfer means (28) is provided to transmitthe rotary movements of the driving device (22) to the transmissionelement pairs (26, 27) of the two driving gears (24, 25).
 3. Deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein: the transfer means (28) is provided totransmit the rotary movements of the driving device (22) through twoone-way movement transfer devices (29, 30) of which each is associatedwith a transmission element pair (26, 27) in each driving gear (24, 25),and one of said devices (29 or 30) is provided to transmit the movementof the movement transfer means (28) to the transmission element pair (26or 27) of one of the driving gears (24 or 25) when the movement transfermeans (28) is driven in one direction by the driving device (22), whilethe other one-way movement transfer device (30 or 29) is provided tosimultaneously permit clearance of the movement of the movement transfermeans (28) to the transmission element pair (27 or 26) of the otherdriving gear (25 or 24) when the movement transfer means (28) is drivenin said direction by the driving device (22) and vice versa.
 4. Deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein: each transmission element pair (26, 27)includes two cooperating and rotatably mounted transmission elements(33, 34), a transmission element (33) in one (26) of the transmissionelement pairs (26, 27) rotates said rotatable part (8) through aconnecting member (37), and a transmission element (34) in the other ofsaid transmission element pairs (26, 27) cooperates with a device (38)for transferring the rotary movements of said transmission element (34)into reciprocating motions, said device (38) driving or operating inturn an elongated member (39) to move with reciprocating motions forimparting to the flushing nozzle (9) a movement about a geometrichorizontal or substantially horizontal axis (R2A).
 5. Device accordingto claim 4, wherein: the device (38) for transferring rotary movementsinto reciprocating motions includes a carrier (40) which is rotatable bysaid transmission element (34) of said other transmission element pairs(27) and which is provided to rotate about a threaded rod (41) orsimilar which is displaceable in a reciprocating manner, the carrier(40) cooperates with the rod (41) by engaging or meshing with itsthreads (42, 43), and the threaded rod (41) has two threads (42, 43)with different thread directions, said threads (42, 43) transforminginto each other through thread transitions at the end portions of thethreads (42, 43) such that the carrier (40) during rotation in onedirection can engage or mesh with one of the threads (42 or 43) andthrough said thread transitions pass over into engagement with the otherthread (43 or 42) for imparting reciprocating motions to the threadedrod (41).
 6. Device according to claim 4, wherein the transmissionelements (33, 34) of the transmission element pairs (26, 27) of thedriving gears (24, 25) are centered with a geometric centre line (CL)common to said transmission elements (33, 34).
 7. Device according toclaim 2, wherein: each driving gear (24 and 25 respectively) is a wormgear having a worm (31 and 32 respectively) which is driven by thedriving device (22) through the movement transfer means (28), and a gearwheel (33 and 34 respectively) cooperating with each worm (31 and 32respectively) and driving said rotatable part (8) and the flushingnozzle (9) respectively, and each worm (31 and 32 respectively) ismounted on a drive shaft (35 and 36 respectively) which is non-rotatablyconnected therewith and on which a one-way movement transfer device (29or 30) is provided such that the movement transfer means (28) cooperateswith each worm gear through a one-way movement transfer device (29 or30).
 8. Device according to claim 2, wherein the movement transfer means(28) is an endless means, e.g. a belt or a chain.
 9. Device according toclaim 2, wherein the movement transfer means (28) is a gear wheel. 10.Device according to claim 1, wherein the driving device (22) is drivenor operated by other energy than by the flow of flushing liquid to saidrotatable part (8) and the flushing nozzle (9).
 11. Device according toclaim 10, wherein the driving device (22) is an electric, pneumatic orhydraulic motor.
 12. Device according to claim 11, wherein the drivingdevice (22) is a servomotor.
 13. Device according to claim 11, whereinthe driving device (22) has a rotation speed of 500-1000 rpm.
 14. Deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the driving device (22) drives or operatessaid rotatable part (8) to rotate with 0,5-1 rpm.
 15. Device accordingto claim 1, wherein the driving device (22) and the switch device (23)are located outside the space (2) to be flushed.
 16. Device according toclaim 1, wherein the driving device (22) and the switch device (23) arelocated in a common housing (21).
 17. Device according to claim 1,wherein the control device (48) controls the driving device (22) inaccordance with a control program.
 18. Device according to claim 17,wherein the control program is adapted to the look of the space (2) tobe flushed.
 19. Device according to claim 1, wherein a control valve(13) in a supply conduit (6) for supply of flushing liquid (7) to saidrotatable part (8) and the flushing nozzle (9) cooperates with a controldevice (50) which controls the control valve (13) for controlling theamount or volume of the flow of flushing liquid through the supplyconduit (6).
 20. Device according to claim 19, wherein the control valve(13) is remote-controlled.